Top 10 Signs You Might Be Addicted to Second Life

This is not original and I don't know who wrote it, but I thought it was worth sharing.

Enjoy!

Top 10 Signs You Might Be Too Addicted to Second Life


# 10.When checking out at a Grocery store You sign your Av name instead of your own

# 9. You Tell Your Mom you Will TP (teleport) Over In 5 Min

# 8.When a friend ask you for directions, you offer to give him a landmark or a tp

# 7.You jump up into the air, thinking you can fly.

# 6.When someone asks to borrow your notes in class, you tell them they are no-transfer.

# 5.When you walk, and say to yourself, "/ao on"

# 4.You start using the words "Rez"and "Prim"

# 3.you keep trying to right click things...

# 2.when you look in the mirror and think, "I need to adjust my appearance".

# 1. When you are in getting intimate with someone, you look for poseballs and ask your partner why the blue menu isn't there?

W.W.II Veterans - A Tribute

Above is a photo taken earlier this week at a doctor's office. My dad, James Kazee, is on the left and Jack Goodnight is to the right. Both are WWII Navy vets. I don't really know Mr. Goodnight (yes, that is really his name). My dad and I had the pleasure of meeting him when he noticed my dad's navy hat, and struck up a conversation.
I sat and listened while they discussed the places they'd been stationed, what they had seen, and where they had been. I wish they'd had longer to talk. Those stories are fading quickly, as the number of WWII veterans still alive are diminishing every single day.
They discussed Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay. It's a man made island between Oakland and San Francisco. My dad boarded his first Navy ship there after going through various training facilities in Chicago, Ill; Gulfport, Mississippi and New Orleans, La. He told me that he used to stand on that island, and look out over the S.F. Bay, the Bay Bridge and Alcatraz. I can barely begin to imagine it. I try, but it's difficult.

Until the late 90's, Treasure Island was closed to the general public. Since then, part of it has opened to tourism:


Here's a photo of the Bay Bridge from Treasure Island:


Even as I write this, the light is fading from my father's eyes. He has lived a long, very full life, and now, his heart is failing. Most people today, I don't believe, could honestly begin to compare to our old timers, when speaking of life experience. Some day, I will record every story that I can recall, and every detail that I can remember, about my dad. My sister and I agree, that his stories should be shared. My dad is an amazing man who has led an amazing life, and he will always be my biggest hero.

I urge you to show honor and respect to our veterans, no matter how you personally feel about the war in Iraq. Every veteran, past and present, deserves nothing but love, respect, and every good thing that life has to offer. After all, where would we be without them?

Milkshakes, Men & Mass Confusion

So, here's what happened:

My milkshake brought all the boys to the yard and, I threw up my hands and rolled my eyes in bewilderment. I had to ask myself what the heck I was going to do with/about these yummy beasts that I love, yet often find intolerable. I'm beginning to understand why some men and certain cults go for polygamy, not that I would want to actually marry any of them. I suppose there might be one or two that I would consider. They all serve or have served a purpose and enriched my life in too many ways to count. I sincerely hope that I have returned the favor. Of course, some have also been a source of extreme emotional pain. That's life I suppose. Can't appreciate the good without the bad. Numbing myself is appealing, but living is more so. God knows, I have caused my fair share of pain where relationships are concerned, and I can only pray for forgiveness.

All I really want is stability. Is that so much to ask?

Our Kids Are In Danger! Wake Up!

Many of you have probably never heard of the A.F.A., but I get e-mails from them. They report on a lot of important (matter of perspective) moral issues. While I don't subscribe to every opinion expressed by this group, they are, in my opinion, on target in many cases. What is really sad, is that I read this e-mail message today (see below), and I wasn't shocked. I should have been reading it with my chin on the floor in utter astonishment. The fact that I wasn't, is a good indicator of the "If it doesn't impact MY life, I don't care" state of our society. - Yes, that is a blanket generalization. I think it is applicable.

I wasn't shocked, but I was horrified.

The American Family Association e-mail:

"Student planned mass slaughter at his South Carolina school

Is it time for parents to pull their children out of public schools?

April 23, 2008



Did you read The Associated Press story about Ryan Schallenberger in Chesterfield, S.C.? Authorities learned of the student’s plans to commit mass murder at his school. Police discovered a hate-filled journal lauding the Columbine High School killers, an audiotape to be played after he perished during his rampage, and a year's worth of plans for the bombing that included a hand-drawn map of the school. Prosecutor Jay Hodge said, "The kid had the intellect and the means and the materials to carry it out."

Several stories of gang fights on school grounds and attacks on teachers and bus drivers have been in the news recently."


This sort of thing litters the t.v. networks, newspapers and internet every single day. The problem is, I only see that it is being reported as everything else gets reported. What action are we to take to put an end to this type of behavior before more parents are forced to make funeral arrangements?

Egypt, Israel, Obama and the Upcoming Elections

This is an e-mail that my mother received from her brother (my uncle), that came to him and others from a close, personal friend of his. In other words, this is not some e-mail propaganda, this is absolutely real and true. No matter your faith, or lack thereof, it bears everyone's consideration, especially with the elections rapidly coming upon us. I was strongly considering Obama. I am re-considering.

This is a first-hand account from someone who had just returned from Israel and Egypt. Seeing is believing and I pray that American will wake up and see the truth before it is too late!

March 20, 2008

Dear friends,

We are home. I am home with this flu that is going around. I had it before we left and got worse in Egypt. I have really been sick. Sure is a waste of time.

Our trip was physically very hard. I lost 10 pounds and got sick. I am glad I went, but would not go back to Egypt. It is a dirty, ungodly country. The smog in Cairo Egypt was terrible. There are 17 million people in that city and they just throw their trash in the streets. The Nile River is polluted. I don't know how such a people who built the pyramids regressed like they have. If the Arabs take over America, we will be a slum. And the noise pollution was terrible. They chant their Muslim prayers all day. Our tour guide was a Christian, and he was a fine young man, but the ungodliness of the population is everywhere. It was a real example of the difference of "light" vs "darkness." Jesus is truly the Light.

Israel was clean and wonderful. We could eat the food and drink the water. They were kind and loved us. They may not believe in Jesus but you can tell that God is in that land. It snowed in Jerusalem while we were there and it was cold, but we still toured. The Sea of Galilee was stormy and we went out on a boat a short distance, but came back to shore.The Bible is absolutely true about the fact that you cannot be out on the Sea of Galilee in a boat without the danger of dying. We were amazed at the big waves and wind on that sea or lake.

The weather cleared in Israel at the end of the week and we went to the Temple Mount on a beautiful morning. It was a time with the Lord. We stood at the Golden Gate where Jesus will return. It is sealed because the Muslims are concerned He will return! They even have one of their graveyards outside the gate thinking no King will come through a graveyard. But Jesus is coming! It shows the Muslims are concerned and may believe there is a possibility He will come. I stood and looked at that Gate,and was very moved to think I was standing at the very place where Jesus will enter Jerusalem again.

We went to Bethlehem. We had to let our Jewish guide out of the bus, and our Arab bus driver drove us through the security gate. That high wall that you have been hearing about on TV is there, dividing Palestine and Israel. We then got a Christian guide when we got into Bethlehem. I was there twice before, once in l980 and again in l999 and there is a stark difference in Bethlehem since the Arabs have taken it over. There were hardly any tourists.

We ate in a cafe on the square where I ate before which was packed with tourists, but today it was vacant except for us. They have killed their tourist trade. The Christians in Bethlehem asked us to pray for them, because they had no income now. The Arab men on the manger square glared at us. We did not feel safe and clung together. There were begger boys everywhere. They hate Americans and Israel.

There is so much I could say about this trip. It has changed my life in some ways. I look at the "lostness" of the Arabs and the darkness. I look at Israel; that tiny country amidst such turmoil. If America does not continue to support Israel I believe God will judge us severely as Americans. The Israelite soldiers were such fine young men and women.
They are clean and disciplined and have great love for their land which is something that is missing in America among some of our youth. I rode back to Lubbock from Dallas on the plane with an American Air Force career soldier. He said the Israelite pilots were the best in the world. They can fly planes like no one else!

Lastly, we were asked everywhere about the Presidential race in America. There was great interest. The Jews came up to us and asked us many questions. They warned us that Obama is a Muslim, not a Christian. In Egypt, the Arabs said the same thing to us; they said Obama is Muslim and they are amazed that Americans would consider electing a Muslim President of America! Once a Muslim, always a Muslim.

I came home loving America even more! Our country is a "light on a hill." Our streets are clean. There are no chants all day. People are kind and take their turn. People over there pushed into line and were rude. They have never heard of the Golden Rule. They will stomp all over you if they want to get in line. I can see now why Jesus' words of loving your neighbor and doing unto others, what you would have them do unto you, were strange words to the lost. The Koreans were the worse about walking all over us or trying to. We take our Christian heritage for granted here in my opinion. We have sanctity of human life. In Egypt, the Arabs don't have any hope so I can see why they would bomb people and commit suicide. They smoked cigarettes everywhere! I could not breathe in Egypt and I think that is why I came down with the flu again. The smog was so bad at the pyramids, I could tell I was getting sick. I would gag on the fumes.

We need to pray for America and this election every day.

God bless,

Student Descriminated Against by School Faculty Members

It is a sad and terrible thing to hear about kids ganging up on other kids and bullying them at school. When it happens by a faculty member, it is beyond deplorable. To make matters worse, the principle of the school, the one person that could step up to the proverbial plate and correct this, appears to be more concerned with saving face, than with doing what is right.

What Happened ~

My daughter got into trouble on the school bus on Monday, 4-7-08. She was told that she would have to sit at the front of the bus for "several" days. As I sat, patiently awaiting what I assumed would be an elaborately exaggerated story detailing her offense, I tried not to smile, and calmly glanced at my class notes. As the story unfolded, however, my amusement turned to disbelief as I heard from not only her, but also a friend of hers, and another with whom my daughter rarely gets along, the actual details of what transpired.

The Facts According to 7 Student Witnesses ~

Apparently this bus driver sent out a decree that no child shall tell another to "shut-up". She considers this bullying. If that's the worst thing kids are saying to each other, they're not doing so badly by today's sorry standards, in my honest opinion. Regardless, my daughter admitted that she said "shut-up", to a student who was not actually saying anything at all. He is a friend of hers, and is described as the "quiet type". The other kids that I spoke to verified that it was not put forth in a bullying manner, but was simply a light teasing, and the friend in question along with the others, shared a laugh over it. The student himself, also bore witness to this.

No one that rides my daughters bus, that we have spoken to, has any recall of an incident wherein the bus driver previously had a "talk" with my daughter about telling others to "shut-up". This, however, is what has been claimed by the bus driver according to the middle school principle.

This bus driver ordered my daughter, when she suddenly decided on the new rule, to the front of the bus where she was to remain for "several days". "Several days" apparently equates to a week and a half. Personally, I think that's a bit overboard, but I was not going to contest it. I believe you have to pick your battles, and this was a fairly minor event.

My daughter was shocked when she was abruptly singled out, seemingly out of the blue, and muttered "what the frick"?, after which she gathered her things and moved to the front as ordered. The bus driver misunderstood her to say "what the f***", wrote her up and ordered her to the principles office. I can certainly understand her misunderstanding what my daughter said, but those that know my daughter, know that she will frequently use that expression. I'll confess that she picked that up from me. I could say "what the heck", and I do not often use coarse language in front of her, but I DO say "what the frick", fairly frequently. In any case, I am confident that my daughter, even if she used that type of language, is not stupid enough to utter the f-word within hearing distance of an adult who has just singled her out for discipline.

The principle asserts that he gave my daughter a detention, not necessarily for what she said, but rather how she reacted. I believe that he is at least somewhat satisfied at this point, that she did not, in fact, say the F-word. In spite of that, he is stubbornly clinging to his assertion that she should not have said anything, and therefore assigned her a detention. Handing out a detention over the fact that my daughter expressed a surprised verbal reaction, is simply unjustifiable, in my opinion. Every witness testifies to the fact that her reaction was one of surprise, not aggression, not belligerence and not disrespect. The bus driver, to my knowledge, did not write her up over how she expressed herself, but rather what she believed she heard. IF my daughter had in fact used the F-word, she would have served her detention, been disciplined at home, and the school would not have heard a word from me.

I have several issues with all of this.~

1.) The bus driver, on the write up that she did not seal in an envelope, but put right into my daughter's hand, wrote out in plain black and white, "what the f*ck". No abbreviation was used.

2.) The principle, when speaking to my daughter about this, also said, right to her face, "what the f*ck". He admitted this to me, when I spoke with him on the phone regarding this situation on Wednesday, 4-9-08.

~ Regarding No.'s 1 and 2, what kind of example does that set? Is that professional? I think not. Is that hypocritical? I am certain that is how the students perceive it. There is already an appalling lack of respect for authority and adults, in general, among much of today's youth. Behavior such as this, on the part of authority figures, only serves to reinforce the children's lack of respect for adults as a whole. I cringe to think that my tax dollars are helping to pay the salaries of faculty members that would behave in such an unprofessional and irresponsible manner. ~

3.) After the bus driver made her new rule about telling people to "shut-up", and forced my daughter to move to the front of the bus, another student on the bus yelled "shut-up" at my daughter while exiting the bus. This was done right in front of the bus driver. According to every witness, there was no mistaking what was said, or who said it. No action was taken by the bus driver.

4.) Another student, a close friend of my daughter, told someone to "shut-up" right after that. The bus driver pointedly looked at her, the student held her breath waiting to be the next one ordered to the front, but the bus driver said nothing. This student told me this, herself.

There are more examples that I could give, and that were detailed in a letter signed by the 7 student witnesses, that I took to the principle. The general consensus, according to the students that I have personally spoken to, is that this bus driver has a serious issue with my daughter. They claim that my daughter is frequently singled out and reprimanded for minor, real or imagined, infractions, when other students on the bus are overlooked while doing the same.

When I sat down to go over the letter that had been signed by the 7 student witnesses with the principle and vice principle today, 4-11-08, I got nowhere. The principle still ascertained that because my daughter may have expressed herself in some disrespectful manner, that she deserved the assigned detention. He pointed out that "we" were not there, cannot know for certain what occurred, and is bound to take the word of this one faculty member over 7 student witnesses.

The principle also pointed out that the 3 of us, myself, the principle and the vice principle, could witness an accident outside, and have 3 very different perspectives about what actually occurred. He claimed that while he was not accusing all 7 students of being dishonest, that their perceptions might somehow be skewed.

While I commend the principle for his defense of this faculty member, I feel that he inadvertently made my points for me, for the following reasons:

1.) He admitted that he cannot know for certain how my daughter expressed herself, so he is punishing her because of what she might have done. Apparently, innocent until proven guilty does not apply to teenagers in this school district.

2.) He pointed out that we could all witness the same hypothetical accident, and have 3 different perceptions regarding what actually occurred. I can not argue that point, but I have to question the odds of having, not 1 or 2, but 7 individuals who all bare identical witness to the same set of circumstances. That lends a tremendous amount of credibility to my daughter, in my opinion.

Understand that I am not one of those naive parents who blindly believes her child to be a paragon of perfection and model behavior. My daughter, while not a hard- core rebel in any way, is certainly no saint. She has served more than one detention in the past for undeniable infractions, and has taken her discipline at school and at home, as was due. I fully support the faculty regarding their disciplinary measures and policies in most cases. This, however, is not a case that I can support,or approve.

The bus driver in question, clearly does have a problem with my daughter. No one knows better than I do, how annoying my girl can be. She is mine, and I love her dearly, but I am more than aware of her flaws. It is apparent to me, however, that this driver is showing extreme prejudice towards my daughter, and that is intolerable. I am not asking that the driver like my daughter or treat her with favoritism. I simply want her to be treated fairly, and not in a discriminatory manner.

I let the principle know that my daughter would not be serving this detention, so he has assigned her to a Saturday school to take place on 4-19-08. I advised him that she would not be serving that Saturday school, either, so he has stated that she will be given a 3 day suspension. I advised him that if that were the case, that I would be approaching the school board, the superintendent, the P.T.A. and the local newspaper regarding the details of this situation.

I can only surmise that he now feels backed into a corner, and must feel that he has to stand firm in order to save face, as it were. I simply cannot condone any child being bullied by a school faculty member, as mine has been. I can only hope that the school board will back my daughter, and myself in fighting this injustice before her grades have to suffer from an unwarranted 3 day suspension.

Just a Thought...

As some of you may be aware, I've recently returned to OSU to continue working towards my degree in psychology. It's so good to be back at it after a significant length of time away from it (Winter of '06). So far, the quarter is off to a very good start, and I am eager to keep plugging away at it until I reach my goal.

It's easy to burn out on anything, but I really do value the opportunity to continue my education and enlarge my knowledge base. Sometimes, as with anything, it's just about being faithful. I've not specifically determined the direction in which I am to go when it's all said and done, but I know I'll figure that out as I go. Psychology leaves the door wide open for multiple career opportunities. I've always known that in one way or another, I was meant to live a life of service. I don't believe I could find any peace, otherwise. I've been so immensely blessed in my life, I am compelled to give back in some way. God knows, there are more needs to be met on this small planet than there are people to meet them.

Are you thinking that I am sounding altruistic? I'm not sure such a thing truly exists. I'm compelled to give back, because it will make me feel good to do so. Is all motivation selfish at its core? I'm not convinced of that, either. Psychologists and philosophers have debated over this for many years. I'm not convinced 100%, either way. Of the two, I'm inclined to believe that most motives are, in fact, selfish in some form or fashion. That is simply the nature of mankind. The question is, does it truly matter? I don't think so. As long as burdens are being lifted, people are being rescued, cared for, fed, sheltered, healed, etc., motivation isn't all that important, is it?

What are your goals? Do you feel good about the direction of your life, or are you just getting by, trying to pay the bills and living a mediocre existence? If you are, why settle? As long as you have breath, you have a purpose. I challenge anyone that reads this, to search yourself. Do you feel satisfied with your life? If not, realize that you can give back in a million ways that don't cost you anything but a little kindness. I would advise you to start small, but think BIG. It can be as simple as a smile, a hug, or holding a door for a stranger. It can be as complex as forgiving a long held grudge, and mending a bridge you thought you'd burned years ago. Don't allow your heart to grow cold, and if it has, work on warming it up a bit. Go ahead and count the cost. I bet you'll find that it's worth it, in the end.

Is this a road that leads to fame, fortune or riches? Nope. It sure isn't, but I firmly believe that what goes around, comes around. I also realize that these are hardly original thoughts, but it was weighing on me a bit and I thought I'd reiterate as much for myself as anyone else. Just think about it.